Morning Rounds

I started my morning walk. As I walked down the road from my driveway, I saw my elderly neighbor pulling weeds in his flower beds. He is out there every morning working like the stalwart laborer he is. The funny thing is that he never seems to make any progress. Later, when I walked back by on my way home there seemed to be as many weeds as before. I wonder if he just likes getting out of the house and doing busy work. When I was married, I often would work in the yard to escape my constantly talking and hen pecking wife. She wouldn’t have bent over to pull a weed or work in the yard if her life had depended upon it. Like a silver cross to a vampire, she would have hissed and slammed the door shut.

I walked on through the poor, impoverished neighborhood to the west of mine. Some of these homes look so run down it is amazing that people still live in them. A dog came rushing out of the bushes in front of one house upon his tether and leash. He barked furiously until he reached the end of his line and was yanked back a little bit. He eyed me suspiciously watching my every move; such a protective little beast. Everywhere around me the porch lights were still on from the previous night.

I finally made it down by the shopping center and rounded the corner. None of the groupies were to be seen. It was still too early in the morning for them to make their appearance. I walked into the grocery store to buy a Gatorade. That surly clerk, Virginia, was the only one who had a line open. “Damn,” I muttered under my breath.

“You out for your walk?” She asked on one of the rare occasions she would make an attempt to be nice.

“Yeah, I am making my rounds this morning,” I replied.

“You don’t look like you need to lose any weight,” She said.

“Thanks,” I said. “I walk for the peace of mind it gives me.”

“I wish I had the time to walk, but I have to work all the time,” She said kind of condescendingly.

I bid her good day and started to walk the remaining half a mile to the house.